Butler Carved In Ice slides back into town for the 9th year
Something "cool" is being chiseled to perfection at Diamond Park in Downtown Butler - It's the 9th annual Butler AM Rotary Carved in Ice event.
The chilly weather this week is ideal for the icy event. KDKA-TV stopped by to see all the frosty fun and how the event helps the community.
"You hear about these in Minnesota and Minneapolis and we got one right here in Butler. I think that's pretty cool, pretty freezing too!" said Jackie Muller.
Every year, thousands of people carve out some time to stop by the festival watch sculptors turn blocks of ice into works of art, and check out dozens of frozen masterpieces.
"What a talent! He looks like he has a pencil! and there it looks like a Dremel drill and he's just making his lines and I'm just so amazed," Muller said.
"It's awesome the way they do it, it's very nice. Glad it's cold because when it was warm, they melted it was terrible so this is going to be good," said Paul McCall.
"It's mesmerizing, if you watch them sculpting the ice, the way that they create all of the definition with the ice sculptures, it's just beautiful, and its really great to watch," said Dena Martinez, chair of the Butler AM Rotary Carved in Ice event.
The two-day event doesn't just feature ice sculptures and live carvings. They also have children's activities, a chili cook-off, a hot dog eating contest, a cupcake icing contest, and basket raffles.
Proceeds from the event go to the Butler AM Rotary charities' annual giving fund, and this year they're helping Ellen's House, a Butler County recovery home serving women and children.
'We're trying to complete a children's room and Ellen's House is through the Ellen O'Brien Gaiser Center," Martinez said.
"For rotary, with service above self, we try to have a great community event, as well as fundraising for all of the charities that we support throughout the year. So we're just trying to give back to Butler, and have a great event," she added.
The organizers are hoping lots of people will bundle up, and come chill for a good cause this weekend.
"Love it! we come every year," said Dot McCall.
"We come every year to it. we have a good time every year, good people, its fun, a lot to do, walk around, look at everything," Paul McCall said.
If you couldn't make it to Butler Carved in Ice on Friday night, Saturday night will be even cooler with more to see and do there from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
